Sony-Ericsson to Launch New Phone Brand in 6 Months

The mobile phones joint venture between Japan’s Sony and Sweden’s Ericsson expects to use a new brand name for its cellphones when it starts up in about six months’ time.

Jan Wareby, the head of Ericsson’s consumer products division who is to become executive vice president of the new company, told Reuters in an interview the joint venture was expected to announce the new brand name around the start of its operations on October 1.

“We are listening very much to Sony,” he said. “They have been very successful in launching new brand names.”

Wareby said the branding would be worked out by teams from both Ericsson and Sony, but would not give any hint of what it might be.